Nut length grader



Dec. 25, 1934. GEBHARD-r 1,985, 345

NUT LENGTH GRADER Filed Nov. 7, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 NUT LENGTH GRADER Patented Dec. 25, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NUT LENGTH GRADER William Gebhardt, SanAntonio, Tex. Application November 7, 1932, serial No. 641,661 4 Claims. (01. 209-87) moving parts, and in which the grader plate may be readily interchangeable to accommodate nuts above and below an average length.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention will be apparent from the following description and consideration of the accompanying drawings forming a' part of this application, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a machine constructed in accordance with my invention,

Figure 2 is a top plan view, with parts broken away.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the main frame of the machine with the gauge plate installed thereon,

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the feeder mechanism.

In carrying out my invention I provide a base upon the upper face and at one end of which there is bolted, as at 11, a casting l2. The casting 12 includes a pair of spaced aligned bearings 13-14, and at the opposite end of the base there is bolted a bearing 15. The bearings 15-14-13 revolubly support a drive shaft 16 which has keyed thereto a drive pulley 1'7. The drive shaft 16 may be retained in the bearings by a collar l8 pinned to the shaft and abutting the bearing 40 13.-

At a suitable point between the bearings 14-15 the shaft 16 has fixed thereto a small bevel gear 19 which is adapted to mesh with a gear of the grader plate as will be presently described.

A circular plate 20 formed as an integral part of the casting 12 is provided, disposed at an angle of approximately 45 degrees, and centrally'of this plate there is formed a boss 21 depending downwardly and at right angles to the plate and with- 50 in this boss, a shaft 22 of a revoluble grader plate 23 is mounted.

The grader plate 23 includes a series of radially extended slots 24, the inner ends of which are countersunk as at 25, and a bevelled ring gear 26 is 55 sweated or otherwise secured to the plate 23.

6verlying the chute 29"; the step 36 overlying the chute 30, the step 3'7 overlying the chute The ring gear 26;"as shown in Figs. land 2, is in mesh with the'gear l9; and these gears effect the drive of thegrader plate-23. i

The plate 29 adjacent its upper portion is provided with an arcuateopening 27, and upon 5 the under face of the plate as at 2'7 there is "mounted a main hopper 28, divided by partitions 28a; into individual hoppers 29, 30, 31 and 32. .Each of the hoppers 29 to 32 discharge into separatebins (not shown) or otherwisaasdesired.

Upon the upper face of the plate 20 a gauge plate 33 is adjustably mounted by screws and slots 34. The plate 33 is arcuate shaped'and the inner peripheral face is cut in step formation, as indicated at 35', 36, 3'7 and 38, the step 31; and the step 38 being positioned over the chute 32. The plate 33 is adjustable radially inwardly and outwardly with respect to the slots 20 27, by reason of the screws and slots 34, so as to grade various run of pecans. The steps, 36, 3'7 and 38 are preferably provided with indentations 39 so as to accommodate the pointed ends of a pecan, in the event that the pecan should fall into the slots so as to present such end in the proximity thereof. These indentations 39 make it possible to more correctly gauge the pecans, since those nuts having long points aligned with the indentations would allow nuts to be discharged earlier and into the proper hopper 29- 32. If the pecans should be so p0- sitioned within the slots24 so as to present the blunt end thereof toward the indentations 39 and the sharpened end toward the counter sinks 25 of the slots 24, the same release of the nut will be effected. The indentations 39 have not been found necessary so far as the step 35 is concerned, since the opening in this instance is sufficiently large to pass the nut regardless of which end is presented thereto. Adjacent the step 38 and in advance thereof, the plate 33 has formed upon its upper face a series of radially disposed ribs 40, which cooperate with the revolving plate 23 to properly position the nuts for deposition in the stepped members 35-38 of the gauge plate.

A feed chute 41 is mounted upon the plate 20 by'a bracket 42, the discharge end 43 being disposed in close spaced relation to the revolving plate 23'so as to discharge a pecan into the slots, 24 as the plate is revolved. An adjusting plate 44 is pivotally mounted as at 44a upon the chute 41 and includes a shoe 45 carried upon one end of a lever 46 adapted to yieldably contact the plate 23. A tension spring 47 connected to an ear 48 of the chute and the free end of the lever 46 holds the shoe 45 against the plate. Obviously, the shoe 45 will contact the nuts deposited in the slotslz forcing them into lengthwise position therein, and since the nut will rest upon the plate 38 rotation of the plate 23 will impart a rolling motion to the nut, which will be further produced by encountering the ribs 40.

It should be understood that they nuts fed to the present machine have been previously graded according to their diameters, and it is desired to obtain a still higher grade of nuts by grading. as to length. Ordinarily, pecans are graded into three or four different diameters, and are known as Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4. The No...1 grade is the largest, and the No. 4 the smallest, and in'view of this fact, the proper grader plate 23 should.

The operation is substantially as follows: The

nuts to be graded are fed singly to the chute 41, by any suitable timed mechanism (not shown). The nut passes to the revolving plate 23 and will fall into one of the slots 24 thereof and be carried along with the plate. If the nut should not adjust itself lengthwise of the slot, the shoe 45 will encounter the nut, forcing it into the slots for positioning therein, and as soon as the plate 23 has carried the nut into engagement with the ribs 40 a rolling. motion will be imparted to the nut.

With the nut lengthwise of the slot. 24, and due to the inclination of the p1ate'23, the pecan will have one end resting int-he counter-sink 24, the other end resting upon the first step 38. of the gauge plate 33. If the nut is of *a number 4 grade,

7 it will pass through and fallinto the chute 32,

while if it is of a grade, we will say, for illustration, No. 2, the nut will be carried along until it is in alignment with the chute-3.0 for deposit bers positioned beneath said discharge slot, a radially adjustable grader plate carried by said support member and having stepped portions overlying said discharge slot whereby to support certain nuts and permit others to fall through said slot into respective chute members, a rotary plate disposed above said inclined support memher and parallel thereto, said rotary plate having a series of radially extending slots therein, means for: singly feeding a nut to said slots, a resiliently. mounted wiper for adjusting said nuts lengthwise of said slots upon rotation of said plate, and rib members carried by said inclined support member for effecting a rolling action to said nutsfor further adjustment thereof in said slots.=

2. A grading machine for nuts and the like comprising an inclinedsupport having a slot adjacent its upper edge, nut grader plates carried by said support and adjustable to project beyond said slot and having indented edges for accommodating one endof a nut, a revoluble plate for feeding-nuts to said grader plate, said revoluble platecomprising a series of slots for reception of a single nut and each slot having a countersink at the inner end of each slot for seating the other endof a nut.

3. A grading machine for nuts and the like comprising a support member having a discharge opening, a revoluble plate mounted in parallel for rotating the plate, and rib members carried by said supportmember and positioned beneath thepath traversed by said slots whereby a frictionalrolling action will be imparted to nuts disposed within said slots.

4. A grading machine for nuts and the like comprising a support member having a discharge opening, a revoluble plate mounted in parallel relation to said support member and having a plurality of nut-receiving slots, said slots being adapted to register with said discharge opening, means for feeding nuts singly to said slots, means for rotating the plate, and rib members carried by said support member, said ribs being positioned in advance of said discharge opening and disposed at an angle thereto whereby to impart a friction rolling action to nuts disposed within said slots for adjustment therewithin upon rotation of said plate.

WILLIAM GEBHARD'I'. 

